Ricochet
by JazzyCat
Summary: It's amazing how a tiny piece of metal can change someone's life. InuKag. T for language, and a few compromising instances.
1. Kagome

Being an orphan isn't easy. Being half-demon isn't easy. Running away isn't easy. Finding your place in the world when that world could only look at you with pity or disgust in their eyes… that isn't easy either.

But it's a hell of a lot easier when you've got someone to help you bear the burden.

--

Kagome Higurashi was a typical fiteen-year-old girl, other than the fact that she had no parents, lived in an orphanage where she was beaten by "the warden" and barely ever got any food, very much like the other residents. She liked reading, writing, fashion, boys, and a lot of other typical fifteen year old girl things.

But Kagome Higurashi was also very different from the typical fifteen-year-old girl. Her parents—when they were alive—were wealthy humans. She grew up living like a princess until she was seven and her parents died in a car accident. She, having no other living relatives, was sent to live in the orphanage. Her inheritance was frozen in its bank account until she turned eighteen, and until she turned eighteen, she was subjected to daily torture.

--

Inuyasha was a typical fifteen-year-old boy, other than the fact that he also had no parents was a squatter in an abandoned, condemned mansion, he was a half-demon, and he rarely ate, afraid of going out into the world outside and the way they treated him. He liked reading, playing card games—alone—and girls, much like a normal fifteen-year-old boy.

But Inuyasha was also very different from the typical fifteen-year-old boy. His parents might be alive somewhere. He didn't care. They left him, and in truth, he only presumed them dead. They were dead to him. They knew a normal child could not result from their relationship, and still continued with their little affair until he was born. They put up with him for a while, but abandoned him when he was seven, leaving in the middle of the night. They also left him with abandonment issues and a temper problem.

--

So the two were very different, and very alike. And their paths would be crossed by the most unlikely thing imaginable—a stray bullet. And that tiny piece of metal would give both of them the one thing in life they needed.

--

"Kagome," a fearful younger girl said entering the bedroom. "The 'warden' wants to see you." The 'warden' was the name the children in the orphanage had for the woman who was in charge.

"Okay," Kagome said, sliding gracefully off her bunk and walked to the door. She patted the younger child's back comfortingly. "It'll be okay. You climb into bed and I'll be back to read you a story later, alright, Rin?" The girl nodded and sniffled, heading for her own bed. Kagome strode briskly from the room and toward the office, where the warden was waiting.

The hinges creaked as she opened the door, closing it behind her before turning to face the desk, eyes downcast. "You wanted to see me, ma'am?"

"Kagome…" her tone was different this evening. The young girl tensed herself, ready for her regular beating, but it didn't come. The woman behind the desk chuckled.

"I'm not going to hit you. Not today, Kagome. I'm in a good mood. Do you know why I'm in a good mood?" The chair she'd been staring at turned, and she saw the face of her worst enemy. Greasy black hair, pale, blemished skin, wrinkled, dark circles under her eyes, and a large, hairy mole right above her lip. Kagome winced at the sight, but hoped the warden hadn't seen.

"No, ma'am."

"I didn't think you did. I got a call today. From town hall. They're giving a grant to each of the orphanages, and so we've got some money to get this place fixed up a bit." The ugly woman chuckled. "So I've got contractors coming in tomorrow to start work. The only thing we really need is the hole in the ceiling patched and a new coat of paint in the bedrooms. So, I'll need you to keep the little ones out of the way. As the oldest, you can handle that, can't you?"

Kagome bristled at the mention of her being the "oldest". She didn't like being reminded of the reason she couldn't just run away. Rin needed her. The other children weren't quite as dependant. While Kagome was the oldest, Rin was the youngest.

"Of course, ma'am. Is there anything else?"

"Yes. The day after the contracting is finished, we've got an adoption interview. Make sure the laundry gets done, the young ones get their baths, and everyone looks their best."

"Yes ma'am."

"Now you may go." The warden waved her hand and Kagome turned and put her hand on the door knob. "Wait. One more thing. Fetch me a bottle of vodka from the liquor cabinet. I want to celebrate." Kagome turned and caught the key that was tossed to her.

"Yes ma'am." She left, got the bottle and gave it to the woman before retreating to her bedroom where Rin was looking expectantly at the door.

"Kagome!" She cried happily when she saw the older girl. Kagome smiled.

"Hi Rin! Time for that story I promised." Rin curled up under her covers, clutching her teddy bear to her. The Kagome tucked her tightly into bed, and pulled a book from under her mattress. She sat on the edge of the bottom bunk and started to read, knowing Rin wasn't the only one listening.

"Once upon a time, in a faraway land," she began. No matter how many times the children heard this story, they insisted on hearing it at bedtime. "There was a princess. But she was being held in a tower by a witch who wouldn't let her go. The princess sat at her window every night and cried herself to sleep. Little did she know that her tears were watering a seed that had been planted at the bottom of the tower. Every night, her tears would make it grow bigger and bigger, and she never noticed." Rin's eyes started to close.

"The one day, a prince came. It was late, and the princess was in her window. He heard her cries from his horse, which he was riding in the forest. He decided to investigate, and found a beautiful princess held captive in a tower. He saw the plant at the base of the tower and came up with a plan. He got off his horse and started to climb…" Kagome stopped, realizing the children were all asleep. They never wer able to make it through the entire story.

She sighed and shoved the book back under Rin's mattress, climbing up into her own bed and crawling under the covers. She was always the one who went to bed last and woke up first. She was, after all, pretty much forced into taking over the job of the warden. Bathing, feeding and dressing the children was her job, and instead, she thrust those chores on Kagome and sat in her office watching television and getting drunk.

Sleep overtook her before she could count to five. She was exhausted. And it seemed to have been barely more than a minute or two before she was being shaken awake by a frantic Rin.

"Kagome!" She squealed. "Kagome, wake up!"

"What is it, Rin?" Kagome asked drowsily, holding her dizzy head as she propped up on one elbow.

"The lady is mad! She's looking for you!"

"What time is it?"

"It's almost nine thirty!" Kagome's eyes widened as she realized she was late. She was supposed to have been awake at eight. She threw back the covers and jumped into some different clothes, running a brush through her ebony locks before running into the hallway.

"Kagome!" She heard someone scream her name, knowing who it was.

"Yes, ma'am?"she asked, somewhat fearful. She scolded herself. She promised she wouldn't be afraid of the warden. She had to be strong and protect the little ones.

"Where have you been? The contractors are going to be here in half an hour and no one has had breakfast! The dishes will need to be done, and the living room needs to be swept out!" The warden's arm flashed out and connected with Kagome's face, leaving an invisible mark just below her cheekbone that would appear later. "Get to work and make it fast! I'll be in my office." The angry woman stomped off. When the coast was clear, Kagome hurried to the kitchen to cook breakfast.

There wasn't much food in the place, but she managed to throw together a few omelets and some cereal for the others. Everyone was seated around the table and Kagome was running around filling everyone's glass with orange juice or milk, and then wiping the faces of the ones who finished, taking their dishes to the sink, and giving seconds to those who asked for it. While everyone else was eating, she was scrubbing pots and pans and leaving them to dry in the rack. Soon, everyone was done. She gave everyone napkins and asked two of the older ones if they'd put away the dishes. They agreed, and she grabbed the broom from the broom closet and ran off to the living room.

Quickly, she cleaned up in there as well. She'd forgotten the dustpan, and she could hear the doorbell ring. Frantically, she looked around and decided at the last minute to sweep everything under the rug. She left the room looking spotless and hurried off to put away the broom and take the little ones outside to play. She peeked quickly into the kitchen and saw that the dishes had been put away like she'd asked, and she sighed in relief. Quickly, she ran off to her bedroom, where everyone was hiding, awaiting her return. "'Kay guys," she said. "Let's sneak out while no one's looking." They followed her obediently as she led them out the back door and into the yard to play.

--

"You wanted to see me, ma'am?"

"Yes, Kagome. Close the door." She did as she was told. "Kagome, I'm disappointed, to say the least, in your irresponsibility. You overslept, and the children got their breakfast late. You barely made the place clean enough, and you're lucky the contractors were late, or they would have seen your pathetic attempt at cleaning the room. Disappointing…no, disgusting behavior. I expected better fro you."

"I'm sorry ma'am. I'll do better tomorrow. I promise."

"You'd better. Tomorrow is the interview. And I'm hoping that the couple coming in tomorrow will be walking out of here with a child."

"Yes ma'am." The warden snapped. She'd been holding back her anger, and now it was gone. She got up from her seat and crossed the room in three steps, raising her arm and bringing it down across Kagome's face.

"Don't interrupt me when I'm speaking! Impudence! I can't stand to see your face! Your voice is so annoying!" She hit her again. "You almost cost me my job!" Kagome couldn't see how that could be, but then, she couldn't see anything when she was squeezing her eyes shut while the warden was beating her. "You little shit! I hate you! I hate you! I can't wait to get out of here." Her eyes got cold and she paused in her attacks for a moment. "You know," she said, turning away from Kagome. "Your parents left you here long before they died."

"What?"

"You heard me. They didn't die until you were almost nine years old. Of course, we didn't think they'd actually die so soon, but it did mesh with the story we'd told you, so it worked in our favor." The woman laughed. Kagome was shaking.

She'd been lied to all this time? Her parents just gave her up?

"So what do you think, _Kagome_?"

"I think I'd like to retire to my room now, ma'am. I have to get up early to take care of the children."

"I think that's best. Go." Kagome whirled and wrenched the door open, flying down the hall to her room. She jumped onto her bed and buried her face in her pillow.

"Kagome?" Rin asked, peeking up over the edge of the bed. "Are you alright?" Kagome didn't answer, hoping Rin would go away. "Kagome? Kagome?"

"Just leave me alone, Rin!" Kagome snapped. The younger girl recoiled as if she'd been struck. Sadly, she slid back into her own bed.

Kagome immediately regretted yelling, but the damage was done. She buried her face in her pillow again and let loose with the tears she'd been holding back for almost eight years.

--

The light of the rising sun woke her up. She opened her eyes and looked around the room and found the others still sleeping. Seeing her chance, she jumped up and grabbed a change of clothes, heading off for her own shower before she had to bathe and feed the little ones.

She turned the stubborn knob until the dirt-brown water came from the spout. She waited until it ran clear before getting in. It was freezing, but she took her time, washing off a week's worth of grime and scrubbing hard.

She heard the sounds of the early-birds starting to wake up, and quickly ended her shower. She dried off quickly and dressed before throwing her hair up in a towel and walking back to the room.

"Kagome! Kagome!" The children cried, happy to see her as they were every morning. She was surrounded by them and tried not to get run over, but it wasn't easy, seeing as she was so outnumbered.

"Okay, okay, everyone head off to the dining room and I'll make breakfast." Everyone stampeded off, giving her a few moments of private time. She grabbed her brush and fixed her hair, though it was still damp, and looked at herself in the mirror.

It was about as good as it was ever going to get with her. She traced the outlines of the bruises that were starting to form, and wished she had a bit of makeup to cover them. But, unfortunately, she had none, and she'd have to deal with it. She turned away, noticing the book sticking out from under Rin's mattress.

"I wish a handsome prince would come and rescue me from this hellhole," she thought to herself, shoving it back into hiding and leaving the room.

--

Scrubbing squirmy little children covered in breakfast wasn't easy. There were two or three of them in the tub at a time to conserve time and water, and they continuously splashed and wriggled, fell over or found some way to get themselves dirty only moments after she'd washed them. When they were done, she wrapped them in a towel and sent them back to the room while she loaded another three in the tub.

She heard the ding of the laundry and rushed off to get that, and the hurried back to the last little ones, scrubbing every inch of them quickly but efficiently and sending them off to dry in the room. She followed them and dressed everyone with just enough time to change into something nice for herself as well. And not a moment too soon. The person (or persons) who were looking to adopt rang the doorbell just as Kagome finished readjusting her hair.

"I'll get it!" She called and opened the door to see a tall man with a serious look on his face. His hair was bleached almost perfect white and his eyes were a striking shade of purple at that moment. She stood aside and let him pass, showing him to where the interview room was, and informing the warden he had arrived.

"Thank you Kagome. Wait in the room with the others and send them out when I call for them."

"Yes ma'am."

"You may go." Kagome left and went back to her room.

--

A few hours later, once all the paperwork was done, Kagome watched as the only real friend in the orphanage walked out the door with the tall man, throwing a goodbye glance over her shoulder, the fairytale book tucked under one arm.

"Goodbye, Rin." She said sadly.


	2. Inuyasha

"I dare you."

"No, you go first!"

"What are you scared?"

The half-demon's ears twitched angrily just listening to the bickering friends standing outside his home. This had happened a few times before, but he still hated it.

Inuyasha lived in an abandoned mansion with a '**condemned**' sign on the front, which he thought ensured there would be no trespassers. Unfortunately, it meant stupid, nosy children poking around inside. More often than not, they were out late and dared each other to go into the "spooky haunted house".

Yeah, Inuyasha had spread that rumor by making spooky rattling noises and putting a lamp in one of the rooms to give it an eerie glow. Still, people came around. Until the day that someone was running away and nearly broke their leg. Then they gave the house a wider berth, much to Inuyasha's satisfaction.

And yet the occasional group of morons still came around to bother him. It gave him something to do, so he didn't gripe. Much.

This group was small—only three people. Boys. A little older than him, perhaps, at about sixteen. He peered through one of the boarded up windows down at them and watched.

"I'll go if you guys go."

"On three?"

"One…two…three!" The first two ran in, and the one that had been counting stayed behind.

"Asshole! You tricked us!"

"Not my fault you fell for it!" Inuyasha rolled his eyes. They always did that. He backed away from his window and headed down the stairs to scare them away. He wasn't much in the mood for shenanigans, though, so he settled for the classic. Avoiding being seen, he snuck through the pantry where he kept his supply of batteries and lanterns, grabbing his brightest one and heading silently back up the stairs to the top.

"This isn't so scary," one of the boys announced, more to dispel his fear than anything. Inuyasha smirked in the dark, knowing his little trick always scared them away and they never came back. He set up his lantern—it was more of a giant flashlight that had light that resembled the moon's—and positioned himself in front of it, waiting for them to step in front of the stairs.

"What about upstairs?" One of them said. Perfect.

"Naw, I think we should get out of here."

"C'mon, don't be a pussy," the other called back to his friend. He was laughing when he walked out into place.

In one quick and silent movement, Inuyasha flipped the light on. It shone behind him, outlining his silhouette, scraggly hair, lean form and doggy ears all showing in ghostly white light.

"Holy shit!" cried the one that saw him first. He pointed and his friends followed his gaze. Also taking in the dark figure at the top of the stairs. The dog-boy let out a growl that reverberated loudly down to them. They got the message and high-tailed it out of there, leaving him in peace.

"Freaking kids…" he grumbled, putting the lantern back where it belonged and heading up to his designated room. He slumped against the wall sleepily, there being no bed in that particular room, not that he needed one. He'd never much liked beds.

He peeked out the window if his room and stared at the moon. It was bright, and it glowed, a pearly aura around it contrasting with the onyx of the night sky. He watched it, mesmerized, until he fell asleep.

--

Morning came, and he got up and headed downstairs for food, something he didn't remember he didn't have. Normally, he'd go out at night and steal food, but he hadn't eaten in almost three days, and it was getting pretty urgent. He clutched his gurgling stomach and searched his house one more time for even a scrap of stale bread, and found nothing.

He was used to not eating for a while, but at that moment, he wasn't sure how much longer he could hold out. Three days was the longest he'd ever gone.

He paced the length of his room.

To go or not to go. That was the question. If he went, he'd get food, but he'd also get ridicule and hateful stares from everyone around him. It was also more likely that he'd get caught stealing—he had no money to buy with. If he didn't go, he risked dying of starvation, even if he was exaggerating.

"Fine," he growled to himself. "I'll go." He stomped back up to his room and changed into some normal clothes—jeans and a baggy red sweatshirt made of surprisingly durable fabric his father had left behind. He tucked his hair up in a hat that hid his ears and hoped that he looked normal—there were no unbroken mirrors in the house, so he couldn't check.

He walked up to the door and stared at the handle, almost as if he expected it to turn on its own. He gulped and reached for it, and before he could change his mind, opened the door and stepped onto the sidewalk of the empty street. H checked both ways before turning and heading right, off toward town.

--

"Thief! You get back here!" Inuyasha had no intention of that. He stuffed a roll in his mouth and kept running, not slowing in the slightest, and turning down the first alley he saw to avoid the shop owner he'd just stolen from. He leapt behind a stack of empty crates and squeezed into the gap between two planks of the fence.

He'd lived in that house since he was nine, two years after his parents left. Six years living in a town can almost assure you know your way around. He knew every shortcut, every building, and all the back alleys and sewer lines like the back of his hand. He knew where the river was, and he knew which shops and restaurants had the best scraps and garbage, and which ones had minimum security so he could steal their good food.

And now it was paying off. He didn't normally do that in the daylight. "But," he thought as he wolfed down his first taste of food in days, "it was worth it." He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "They'll be looking for me," he thought. His hat had fallen off while running and they knew what he was. "I should get back home."

He got up, brushed off the back of his jeans, and started off home.

--

"Boring…" he said aloud when he got there. There was very little to actually do at his house, which is why he'd attempted to become nocturnal, as sneaking out at night was a lot easier. He stared at the clock on the wall, counting the 'tick's until it struck four.

"She's getting out of school," he said to himself, getting up. "I guess I can leave now." With that, he headed off for his normal midday ritual—being perverted.

In his defense, he was a teenage boy—fifteen to be exact, not that he kept track of that thing for himself. Ask him why or reprimand him, and he'd tell you that very thing, or more likely he'd deny everything and run away.

But everyday at about four o'clock, he'd head out, taking the back streets out to the country—about an hour's drive, or an hour's run for him—and hide in the trees. He'd get there at about five, when a certain someone was getting changed for dinner.

Kikyo. Even her name made him quiver with an emotion he'd never had before.

He'd first seen her once when she was walking to school. He didn't know if she'd seen him, though it was likely—he was making enough noise.

He'd been caught in an alley after stealing food. He was younger—maybe twelve or so, and hadn't come into his full strength yet. So his capture had been quick and easy. There were three—one held him, the others kicked and punched to get back at him. He still refused to let them win. He fought. But he was losing.

Across the street he could see a group of girls. Two or three of them, and they wore matching outfits, so he knew they were from the same school. Only one of them heard anything, and that girl was Kikyo. She watched them beat him up, and did nothing. He felt embarrassed and weak in front of her like that, but he couldn't do anything.

Her friends called her and she tore her eyes away form the scene and ran to catch up with them. It was a few minutes later that the men let go of him. As soon as they were gone, he followed her scent. He wanted to meet her, though he wasn't sure how to go about it.

He was too late. School had already started, but he decided he'd wait. He wanted to at least see her. And he did. Seven hours later he heard the bells, almost scaring him out of the tree he was perched in. He jumped higher into better cover and watched carefully.

There she was. But she was with friends.

At that time, she'd lived in the city rather than the country, so she walked home. He followed her. He found her captivating in some way, and it sickened him. He was half-demon. He was strong. He wasn't supposed to have such human emotions.

He changed his mind and turned back before he could see where she lived. Not that it mattered. He followed her the entire way the next day.

And so it had become a habit of his to follow her home. At first it was curiosity; she was the first person who'd ever looked at him without screaming and running away. Then it became more. He grew possessive of her. He hadn't seen any other guys hit on her, but it didn't matter. If anyone so much as looked at her the wrong way, he'd be in their face in a second, and she didn't even know it.

He made it to her house without incident and perched himself in a tree, just watching. She was just a girl. She did her homework, read books, listened to music, and when her parents called her down to dinner, she went. Nothing more than ordinary.

But not to him.

Soon it was late. The sun was beginning to sink. Once it was completely hidden by the horizon, he'd take advantage of that moment and go out to find food. It was about then every night that he would head home, and this one was no different. With one last glance at Kikyo, he leaped from the tree and started home.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry this one was a bit shorter, but I wanted to get off the characters and get to the story. Check back later for another update.  
**


	3. Runaway

There was only so much a girl could take. When it was for the sake of another, Kagome could take the beatings, the verbal abuse, and the lies. But when that friend was now gone, and she was on her own, she wasn't going to take any more shit.

The warden was getting drunk in her office as usual, and the evening meal was on the table for the little ones. While they ate, Kagome had sneaked back to her room, where she hurriedly shoved her belongings into a duffel bag. Not that there were very many in the first place.

The few outfits she had were in the bag, as well as her watch, and her necklace—the one that had belonged to her mother. She knew it was cliché, but it was the only thing left of her parents that she had. After hearing of how she was abandoned, she wasn't sure she wanted it anymore.

Nevertheless, she shoved it to the bottom and hid the bag under her bed, planning to leave in the dead of the night, or at least when the others were asleep.

"Kagome?" a small voice sounded from the doorway. The older girl whirled to see a wandering child watching her. "What are you doing?"

"Me? Oh, um, nothing!" She prayed the child wouldn't hear her faltering. "Just making sure Rin didn't forget anything." She laughed nervously. The little boy in the doorway seemed to buy it, and asked if he could hold her hand when they walked back. He clutched a teddy bear under one arm that only heightened his "cuteness" and made it harder to say no.

She walked back to the dining room with him and started on the dishes, humming happily as she thought "this is the last time I do dishes." As she wiped the dirty faces of the children, she sang to herself—in her head of course—"this is the last time I wipe boogers off messy chins."

She swept the room and finished the dishes singing to herself the same way with each chore. Soon, it was bedtime, and though she was excited, she was sad. These kids deserved better. She didn't want to leave them like this, but she couldn't take anymore crap. She knew the warden wouldn't hit the little ones, and she'd only hit the booze a little harder when she was upset, and she'd check back. If the need arose, Kagome would even tip off child services about the mistreatment.

But for now, she needed to leave. She would come into money in a few years and then she'd be all set for life, and she needed her paperwork, but she'd get to it when that time came. A few years of living on the streets or living with friends—assuming she'd make some—and then she'd be all set and willing to pay back whoever put her up.

"Lights out!" The warden shouted down the hall, not even bothering to come to the door. Kagome flipped the switch down and climbed into bed, though she was fully dressed and waiting. To pass the time, she played number games in her head, only to confuse herself. Numbers were never her strong suit.

Kagome only knew it was safe when she heard the exaggerated snoring from the office down the hall. It was an hour or so after 'lights out' and she could hear the tiny, even breaths of the others children around her. She saw this as her chance, and she took it.

She grabbed her shoes and tiptoed across to the window in her socks so she wouldn't make noise. She tried to silently open the window, but it had a tendency to creak, and she knew someone would wake up. And that meant another hour of waiting. She pressed her arm against the crease at the edge of the window in hopes to muffle the sound and slowly pushed up.

So far, things were going well. No one had woken up, and the window got half open before sticking. Rather than risk making more noise, Kagome threw her bag over the edge and into the bush below, then wiggled her way under as well. Sitting on the sill, she looked back one last time…and then pushed off and searched for her bag.

--

Night fell quickly, and Inuyasha had been lying low at home. Now, however, it was coming up on nine thirty, and most people would be inside, putting children to bed or relaxing in front of the television with a beer. There would always be the party people, but there were so few of them on a week day that he paid them no mind and got ready to go out.

"This time," he thought to himself as he tossed aside the shoes he didn't need and searched for his red sweatshirt, "I'll stock up. More than just one meal."

--

Kagome hadn't thought about quite a few things before leaving. She hadn't thought of where she was going to stay, or how she was going to get food. No one would hire her if she looked like a dirty little girl, so she'd need somewhere to wash her clothes and bathe before she went job-hunting.

"I should have gotten a job in secret before I left," she muttered, swearing under her breath. "At least then I could find a hotel."

It was early autumn, and the cold was settling into the ground. She didn't have a coat, or a scarf, since she rarely left the confines of her orphanage, so she hunched her shoulders in an attempt to block the chill. She clutched her bag to her chest and kept walking.

The town at night was so different from the daytime. Now there were neon colored lights and clubs and bars advertising, inviting people in. What little she'd seen of the city in the day was nothing like this. It was like a second face.

Kagome stared. She'd spotted a couple walking arm in arm and couldn't help but think of the fairytale she used to read to Rin. She snorted. "I didn't need a price to save me," she reminded herself, and scurried off to find somewhere to sleep.

"Looks like it's going to be the park," she said with a sigh, and headed into it. She'd looked everywhere else and she couldn't get a room in any hotel and she didn't know any of the people around the area—not that she really wanted to. They might fond out she was a runaway and turn her in. She knew that by morning the warden would notice her absence and call the police. The only place she could get a free room in was at a love hotel, and even then it wasn't really "free", if you catch my drift. Needless to say, she turned that down immediately. She'd wanted to start a new life, and that wasn't in her plans.

The park looked nice anyway. A part of her knew that she'd probably end up there for a while, so she wasn't upset. Instead, she looked for somewhere sheltered to bed down, and she needed it. Her head was feeling heavy, her eyelids drooped, and her footsteps were becoming uneven. She was watching her feet for some reason instead of looking around.

"Oof." She bumped into someone. Taken by surprise, she flew back and landed on her butt, and her bag—as well as the bag of whoever she'd hit—crashed to the floor a few feet away. "Ow…" she held her back. "I'm sorry," she said looking up.

"My fault," a tall, handsome man said. She couldn't take her eyes off of him. He held out his hand to help her up, and she took it gladly. "I wasn't watching where I was going. I shouldn't have been rushing."

"I was falling asleep standing up," Kagome explained with a laugh. "It's my fault."

"Either way, are you alright?" The girl nodded and brushed herself off. "That's good."

"Oh, my bag!" Kagome looked around and found it lying beside a bench. "Well, I don't mean to be rude," she said, "but I've got to go. I'm sorry I bumped into you," she giggled, embarrassed.

"Not at all. Goodbye," he said, reaching for his own bag, that Kagome thought looked remarkably like her own. She was much too tired to care about something so trivial, and waved goodbye, heading off in the direction she'd originally been going in. The man watched her leave, and didn't notice as another man joined him.

"Who was that?" he asked.

"Just some girl," the other replied.

"Do you have the money?"

"It's in this bag."

"Let me see," the second man ordered. The first man grasped the zipper and pulled back.

"See?" He asked. "Happy now?"

"If I was a pedophile…"

"What?"

"I'd be happy if I was a pedophile. This isn't money, this is a little girl's CLOTHES!" he fumed. "How could you get them mixed up!?"

"What?" The man holding the bag peeked in, only to see his partner was right. There was nothing but clothes in the bag, and a necklace, which he pocketed. "Well…at least I know who we're looking for."

"You do realize," the second man said, "that we can't let her live. By now I'm sure she's figured out what's in the bag."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I just feel bad about killing a kid."

"Well get over it. Go after her."

"Okay, okay, don't order me around."

Kagome hadn't noticed yet, though she _did_ notice that her bag seemed a little heavier than before. Of course she didn't think anything of it. She just kept scuttling around looking for somewhere to sleep, pretending she didn't think that the two men behind her were following her.

--

Inuyasha dug through the trash beside an apartment building. When he found nothing, he headed across the street, to the alley next to the fanciest restaurant in town, where he was sure to find something. He hopped up into the edge of the dumpster, covering his nose at the stench with one sleeve. He used his free hand to flip the cardboard boxes off the top, revealing the food underneath. Nothing but fish heads and banana peels. Anything lower in the box than that would be rotten through; inedible.

"Feh. I ate earlier." He jumped down, landing on his hands and feet, then straightened. His nose twitched. Something odd was in the air. "I know that scent," he muttered. "It's so familiar. But it couldn't be…"

--

Okay, _now_ she was sure of it. They were definitely following her. But if they had something to say, wouldn't they have already come forward? That only left one thing…she gulped, beginning to regret running away. She wondered if it was too late to go back.

She peeked over her shoulder, and every time, they were still there, but closer. She was starting to get scared.

She navigated the streets, pretending she knew where she was going, trying to look confident. She kept her eye out for someone who looked willing to play along if she dragged them into this. She had it planned. She'd find some nice guy and pretend they were going out and she was going to meet him. Or, if there wasn't a hot guy around, she'd walk up to a girl and pretend they were best friends.

Unfortunately, she didn't know the layout of the town. She was wandering in circles as far as she could tell, and it had to come to and end sooner or later.

The men chose sooner.

"Hey, girl!" One called. She stopped, her heart pounding, and turned.

"Y-yes?"

"You have our bag."

"What?" She took a step back. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean. This is my bag." The two men exchanged a look. 'She knows' they thought.

"No, it's our bag. We must have switched when we dropped them. We're going to need it back."

"Umm…no." Kagome didn't know what was going on, but they just claimed her bag of clothes was theirs. If they really switched by accident, why didn't they have a bag with them. "I'm afraid I can't give you this, since it's not yours."

"Look here, little girl, you're going to give us the bag." He pulled back his jacket to reveal a gun.

'Kagome, it's not worth dying over!' her inner self screamed. 'Just give them the freaking bag!' 'But then what will I have to live off?'

"I'm n-not." Her voice quavered. "I'm going to leave." Without any more warning than that, she turned and ran, turning the first corner she could find. She could hear the footsteps of the men right behind her, so she didn't slow down, or even think where she was going.

"Get back here!" What kind of self-respecting person is going to listen to someone chasing them with a gun when they're ordered to 'get back there'? Not her.

She's made it a few blocks without incident, but she was starting to lose her breath, and the heavy bag wasn't making it any easier. She was considering stashing it when she realized she was lost and didn't know how to get anywhere.

She made a snap decision and headed down the first alley she saw, hoping to hide out and not get caught.

Her plan failed as she slammed into someone. She fell back onto her butt again and the bag went skidding somewhere else.

"Hey!" They shouted. She blinked and looked up to see a boy in jeans and a red sweatshirt. He had white hair and golden eyes, but what she noticed before any of that was his ears. They were pointy like dog ears. A demon.

--

"I'm sor—" she was cut off as the sound of the men catching up to her. She whirled, her hair becoming an ebony halo around her head, something that caught Inuyasha's attention. Her hair spread her scent, and he recognized it. This was what he had smelled earlier—the odd scent.

"Kikyo!" He cried, surprised. The girl looked back at him and their eyes met for the slightest second, and something seemed different. The girl scrambled off the ground and grabbed her bag.

"Don't move!" one of the men called. He had a gun. She whimpered in fear. Inuyasha, however, cooly cracked his knuckles.

"Wow, to go up against a defenseless little girl with a gun, you guys are really strong." He stared them straight in the eye.

"Stay outta this. It's not your business!" one shouted. The other said into his partner's ear, quietly, "he's a witness, we gotta waste him."

"It became my business when you brought her," Inuyasha jerked his thumb at the girl he supposed was Kikyo, "into anything. You got something to say, you say it to me, got it?"

"Like I said, boy," the man growled, shifting his aim. "Stay outta this." He moved the gun back to the girl again. "Gimme the bag, girl, and I might just let you live." She clutched it ever tighter to her chest, and inched back trying to find somewhere to hide. "Gimme the bag!"

"No!" Tears of fear and defiance leaked from the corners of her eyes, making the half-demon beside her angry. He didn't even have to see them—he could smell them.

"Fine. I'll take it from your cold, dead hands." He cocked the gun.

"Kikyo, look out!" Inuyasha cried, grabbing Kagome by the upper arm and pulling her toward him just as the shot was loosed from the barrel. She squeaked in surprise and fell against him.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion. As the boy pulled her, Kagome fell, and the bag slipped form her grip and tumbled behind a trash can. The bullet sailed clear past them, nowhere near either of them, and the shooter's face twisted into anger at having missed. Kagome landed on the ground and the boy jumped up again, ready to sail at them, claws extended—but stopped short all of a sudden.

Something warm hit Kagome's face and she reached up to see what it was. Her fingers came away red. "Blood…"

Inuyasha took the bullet in the arm. It bounced off the metal of the fire escape behind them, and the ricochet sent it into his arm. "Arrgh!" He cried out, putting pressure on it. The girl behind him gasped. He was still under the delusion that it was Kikyo, and he couldn't bear to look uncool in front of her. He clenched his fist and charged.

--

"Are you alright?" he crouched at the girl's side. She'd watched as he knocked out both men. She looked up at him, shocked.

"I'm not the one who was shot! What about you?" Kagome cried. "And what about them?" She gestured to the unconscious men in the street.

Inuyasha had known as soon as she spoke that it wasn't who he thought she was. "You're…you're not Kikyo." He stated.

"Um…no. I'm Kagome. Thanks for saving me," she added shyly.

"I can't believe I was so stupid! You smelled just like her! You even look just like her! But that voice…"

"Is something wrong?"

"I only saved you because I thought you were Kikyo!" He snapped. "I can't believe I went to the trouble." He got up and started walking away, leaving Kagome dumbfounded.

"W-wait! You've just been shot! That's a serious injury! We need to do something!" She got up and grabbed her bag, running after him.

"I don't need anything," he told her coldly, and kept walking, though his injury made him slower than usual. She still had to run to catch up.

"What are you talking about? This is no time to act stoic, you need to go to the hospital!" In a flash, he had her slammed against the alley wall, pinning her with his hand.

"I said I don't need anything. Get off my back," he growled, his voice low. He turned away again, smirking, sure he had scared her off.

"Like hell!" She cried. The half-demon felt a sudden, sharp tugging on his hair.

"Ow!"

"You need medical help!"

"No, I don't! I ain't going to a hospital, girl, so you can just—"

"Kagome."

"What?"

"Kagome. My name is Kagome."

"Fine then, _Kagome. _Leave me alone!"

"You saved my life, the least I can do is give you first aid!"

"Will you leave me the hell alone if I let you?" He asked.

"Fine, sure, whatever." It didn't sound very promising, but he plopped himself down on the ground, happy for the rest.

"Fine. You got a first aid kit, then?"

"Um…No. I have to find one."

"What's in the bag?" He asked, nodding toward it.

"Just my clothes and stuff…everything I own. Hey, maybe I have a shirt or something I can use as bandages." Kagome dragged the bag toward her and unzipped it. She gasped.

"What now?"

"It's not my bag after all…" Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "It's full of money." His ears perked up. "You stay here," she ordered, grabbing a handful of twenties from the huge stacks. "I saw a drug store not far, I'll go get a first aid kit."

"Feh." She raced off. Inuyasha hadn't listened to her at all. His eyes and his mind were on the money. With this, he wouldn't have to steal for a long time. He could have real, decent clothes, and maybe even get a hat that wouldn't fly off somewhere. And that girl…she could work to his advantage.

"Fine. I'll keep them," he decided aloud. "She could be of some use to me." With that, he stood , grabbed her bag, and waited for her to return.

* * *

**A/N: This chapter turned out to be getting too long, so I'm cutting it in half. I'll finish the other half tomorrow and post ASAP. 'Kay.  
**


	4. Deal

"Ow! Dammit, wench, that stings!"

"Well, it wouldn't if your shirt wasn't rubbing against it! Stop moving around!"

"But it hurts!"

"I'm trying to stop the hurt!" Kagome shouted back, indignant. For someone she had just met he was acting rather comfortable with her. Her brow furrowed as she tried to hold the boy still. She hadn't even learned his name yet and he was screaming at her incoherently. "It would be easier if you'd stop moving!"

"Ow!"

"That's it!" Kagome said, throwing down the alcohol-soaked cloth in her hand. "Take off your shirt." The boy stared at her incredulously, his golden eyes wide in surprise.

"What?"

"Your shirt." She gestured to it. "Take it off." He still didn't seem to get it so she tried again. "Take. Off. Your. Shirt."

"I heard you the first time wench," he hissed, his eyes narrowing. "And I'm not stripping for you. I'll be fine."

"You think I asked you that because I want to see you naked? As if! I need to treat your wound properly! You keep whining because your shirt is rubbing against it, and it hurts, so take off your damn shirt!" She was not a force to be reckoned with. She had experience with children, and if he was going to act like one, she would treat him as such, and make her authority known. He flinched from the volume of her voice and inched backward across the floor of his room.

"No," he said. More than anything, it sounded like a challenge. She would not take the bait. She wasn't that stupid.

"Fine," she said, packing up her things. "Let your arm get infected and rot off. It's none of my business, since I'll be leaving soon enough anyway—"

"What?" His head snapped toward her. "You're leaving?"

"Well…yes. I only came here to treat your wound to thank you for saving me. I figured you wouldn't want me around…"

"Oh. I see." He said. "And do you always make assumptions for other people?"

"Pardon?" Inuyasha snorted.

"As a matter of fact, I was going to ask you to stay. But don't get any ideas or nothing, I don't like you. You just might be of some use to me. That's all." He crossed his arms over his chest, as if daring her to tell him otherwise.

"But I've been nothing but trouble. I got you _shot_ and you won't even let me treat the wound. What kind of use could I be to you?" Kagome asked, getting sad. "I don't even know your name."

"Well, for one thing, you're a human. That means with this money," he kicked the bag near his feet, still full of wads of cash, "you could go out everyday and buy food for us. Two, you're a girl, and that leads me to believe, though you might think this stereotypical of me, that you can cook and clean and such…"

"Well, that _is_ stereotypical, but your assumption was correct. I did that a lot where I used to live."

"Speaking of which, where did you live? I've never seen you around town before."

"I lived in the orphanage." Inuyasha felt bad for inquiring, but being in a similar, and worse, situation, did not apologize. "The owner there pretty much gave me all her work and sat around getting drunk, so I'm used to cooking, cleaning and," she threw him a sidelong glance, "working with children. But I still don't understand why you need me. You could just take this money and leave me on the streets. You saved my life. I wouldn't argue if you took it."

"Well, because…because…" he sighed. He wished she wouldn't ask so many questions. "I'm a half-demon, and—"

"You're only half? I thought you were full." Way to rub salt in the wound.

"I wish. But because of what I am, I'm not welcome in society. That's why I was out at night, scrounging for food. I'm not welcomed by people." Kagome fell quiet and started intensely at the floor. He had saved her life, and he needed her. He was very much like her, and it tugged at her heart to see someone who needed help. She let her eyes travel up to his face, where he was watching her, an intensity burning in his eyes unlike any she'd ever seen.

"That's why…" he paused. "Will you stay?" She could detect the faintest hint of pleading in his voice, and she couldn't turn that down either.

"Of course." She smiled brightly. "Of course I'll stay."

"Thank you." He got up and went through a battered old dresser in the corner, where she suspected he kept his clothes. He tossed a shirt at her. "For you. You're covered in blood." And with that, he walked toward the door. She stood to change, but before he left, he looked back at her over his shoulder. "Inuyasha." He said.

"I'm sorry?" Kagome asked, confused.

"My name. It's Inuyasha."

"Inuyasha." She smiled. "Nice to meet you, Inuyasha."

"Feh." Inuyasha stepped out.

"I wonder if they've discovered I'm gone yet," Kagome thought lazily as she pulled off her shirt and skirt in favor of the garment Inuyasha had lent her. It fell to her knees. She looked for a mirror to check her appearance, thought found none.

"Are you decent?" the boy called from the other side of the door.

"Hm? Oh, yes," she answered, and Inuyasha invited himself back in, sitting cross-legged in the middle of the floor. "Thanks for the shirt."

"Feh."

"So, Inuyasha, why do you live here?"

"'Cause no one else does."

"You did see the big condemned sigh on the front, right? Meaning at any moment, without warning, this entire place could come crashing down on us."

"I'd get out of here before that could happen. Half-demon, remember? I can easily survive a three story fall."

"I wouldn't," Kagome thought, but if he needed her like he said he did, then maybe he'd save her. She just hoped the building wouldn't collapse anytime soon. "So…"

"So what?"

"Nothing, I was trying to start a conversation."

"Conversation is stupid."

"Okay…" Kagome had long since taken a position on the floor, a few feet away from her new "friend", sitting on her feet, hands on her knees. She sat in silence, having a staring contest with the hanyou across from her. She peeked out the window. "It's getting kinda late, don't you think?"

"I guess."

"So…where can I sleep?" Inuyasha looked thoughtful for a minute; as if he hadn't remembered humans needed sleep. "There's only one usable bed in the entire place, so…"

"Great! Where is it?"

"Well, it's too big to get out of the room it's in…"

"Well leave it there."

"This is the only bedroom in the entire house that doesn't have holes in the roof."

"Oh." Kagome looked thoughtful for a sec. "Then can we bring just the mattress in here?" Inuyasha thought that was troublesome, and wondered why she couldn't just sleep against the wall like he did, but he needed her, so he didn't argue, just went and got the mattress. It was heavy, but not a big deal for someone with his strength.

He dragged it through the doorway and slid it into a corner on the opposite side of the room. It still had its dusty, musty sheets on it from when the previous owner still lived there, and smelled of something foul, but Kagome knew how to get smells and stains out of mattresses. And she could just wash the sheets. She stripped the sheets off and inspected the mattress.

"Comfy," she declared as she tested the springs. "Thanks." He didn't reply. He peered through the dirty glass into the dark sky and decided it was time for sleep. He huddled against the wall, sitting up, and closed his eyes without another word.

Kagome crawled up in a relatively clean-smelling spot and tried to fall asleep as well, but she couldn't stop her mind from racing.

She'd run away from home expecting to sleep in the park for a while, until she could filch some clothes and get a job, and instead she accidentally got a hold of some mobster's bag full of money, and was almost killed. Then a half-demon saves her and lets her stay in his house, which is really an abandoned mansion, and he's only letting her stay because he doesn't like going outside in the daytime. She sighed. The man she'd bumped into in the park had seemed so nice, and then they switched bags and he changed completely. She reminded herself that not everyone was as innocent as children. She was out in the real world, and people would hurt you without a second glance.

Speaking of…

"My bag!" she thought, sitting up abruptly. "Where is it? In the park, right? I could sneak out and get it…" she'd need the change of clothes in the morning. And, it was still pitch dark out. She guessed around two or three in the morning. And Inuyasha—judging by his deep, even breaths—seemed to be asleep. She knew the way, and it wasn't far, so she thought she could get her bag and get back in the space of half an hour.

She slid her skirt back on under the shirt and carried her shoes as she padded down to the back entrance—the one Inuyasha said to use, rather than the front, so she wouldn't be followed back to her home.

She tingled all over at the thought. The huge house she was walking out of, though broken and old, was her home. Such a foreign word to her tongue. It made her smile.

She slid into her shoes and tapped the toes on the ground to make sure they were secure before running off to find her bag.

--

Inuyasha watched her through the upstairs bedroom window. He knew it wouldn't last. He knew she wouldn't want to stay with him. He was a half demon, after all. Humans feared him and demons thought he was below them. He flattened his ears to his head.

He'd saved her pathetic human _life_. She wasn't going to get away without repaying him.

He slid open the window and jumped, following her to her destination. He knew she wouldn't be going back to the orphanage she used to live at—if it was as terrible as she had said, then why would she? He simply followed her scent trail and it led him straight to her, even in the dirty, clouded air of the city.

--

"Are you sure we'll find her if we wait here?"

"Of course. They always return."

"I thought that was criminals."

"Shut up. She'll need her bag once she figured out that the other one was full of money."

"Maybe she'll just spend the money on new clothes."

"Shut up. She'll be here." He pulled a necklace from his pocket and held it up to show the other man. "I've got her precious necklace.

The two men chuckled as they waited for the chance to exact their revenge on the little girl. That boy called her "Kikyo," so they presumed that was her name. If this failed, they'd find her. Connections ran deep with the two of them. It would be easy.

--

"I know it was over here…" Kagome was on her hands and knees, searching the dark ground, under and around benches and tables in the middle of the park, around where she'd bumped into that man. She found nothing, but couldn't shake the feeling she was being watched. She checked nonchalantly over her shoulder and, seeing no one, returned to her dirty work.

"Maybe someone took it," she thought. "Oh fuck!" She'd cut her hand on something under the nearest bench and her finger now gushed blood. "Ow!" She popped the offended digit into her mouth and sucked, still looking around for her bag. She came up with nothing, and decided it wasn't worth it.

"But I wish I had at least found the necklace…" she sighed.

--

"There!"

"Where?"

"There. She's sitting on that bench."

"Just sitting there?"

"Yeah. That's really dumb of her. Maybe she's not as smart as we thought." The two shared a quiet laugh before preparing themselves to jump out and kidnap her—only to be stopped by the sight of the very boy that had beaten them earlier.

--

"Hey, bitch!"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried as the boy landed in front of her. He seemed to have jumped from out of nowhere.

"I'm not letting you get out of this so easily. I saved your life, don't you forget!"

"What?" The girl was completely and utterly confused. "What are you talking about? Let go of me!" She said, referring to the arm he'd seized.

"Nuh-uh. You're not running away!" He said, catching her off guard.

"You thought I was running away? Inuyasha are you stupid?"

"How dare you call me stupid? Bitch!"

"My name's not 'bitch'! And it's not 'girl' or 'wench' either! It's Kagome! And you must be stupid if you thought I would leave a house for the wild! Besides…I make it a habit to repay those who save my life."

Inuyasha couldn't believe his ears. He'd come here expecting to drag her back, thinking she was a poor, defenseless little girl, and she'd blown up in his face. Not to mention she was going to return with him by choice. This was without a doubt, the strangest girl he'd ever met. And her appearance…it was so like Kikyou's it was uncanny.

"Keh. Glad you understand. Get moving." He prodded her back with a finger.

"But I haven't found my bag yet! It's got all my clothes!"

"Feh! Buy new ones!"

"But it's got my necklace! It was my mother's!"

"Alright, alright! Would you quit bitchin' at me? I'll help you look tomorrow night."

"Oh thank you Inuyasha!" She would have thrown her arms around his neck then and there had they been better acquainted, but the circumstances held her back, walking by his side back to the house at three in the morning.

"Stupid girl," she heard him mutter.

"Hey…I can hear you…"

"Keh." He was unremorseful. She bit her lip. She was _not_ going to verbally kill him again. She wanted this to turn into a friendship, not a case of bitter enemies. She let that one slide, instead turning the topic of conversation around.

"So…you were worried about me? Is that why you came to get me?"

"Hell no, bitch!" He exclaimed. "I was just afraid you'd go back on our deal and I'd be stuck getting my own food again. I'm tired of eating out of dumpsters," he added in a mumble. Kagome suppressed a giggle.

"I have some self-respect. I won't go back on a promise, Inuyasha, and I hope you can trust me on that."

"Pfff. I trust no one." Kagome saddened to hear those words come from his mouth. She'd thought that maybe they could be friends, but without trust there could be no relationship of any kind, therefore, her heart dropped and her smile disappeared. Inuyasha noticed a change in atmosphere, and saw her frown when he looked back. "It's nothing personal. It's just how I live. How I learned to get by. It's a little late to change that now."

"Maybe not…" Kagome thought mischievously, though she'd never voice _that_ thought. She was already formulation a plan as she watched the sun break the edge of the horizon, bathing her in the sweet light of morning.


	5. Poster

**A/N: Sorry for the late update, but I got caught up in another story. Eh-heh. Enjoy this one, though!**

* * *

Kagome woke to see Inuyasha leaning over her staring intently at her face. She screamed and jumped up, slapping him across the face.

"What the hell was that for?" He yelled, clutching at the red mark on his cheek.

"Sorry! You scared me!" She reached out to pry his hand off and assess the damage, but he scrambled out of her range. "I'm sorry!"

"Keh." He turned away.

"What were you doing staring at me like that, anyway? Ever hear of personal space?" Kagome could almost feel the blush crawling up into her face.

"You were sleeping too much…I was waiting for you to wake up."

"Oh. Well I'm awake. What did you want?"

"We're going out."

"Isn't it daytime?" She turned to the window, only to see the setting sun as if it were waving goodbye. "Oh…"

"Yeah. It's almost dark, so we're going out. We both need new clothes, and some stuff around the house, and food and—AREN'T YOU GOING TO APOLOGIZE FOR HITTING ME YET?"

"I already did!" Kagome screeched back. She got up and ran her fingers through her hair in the absence of a brush, scrubbing the end of her finger over her teeth as well. "I need a shower…"

"Down the hall," Inuyasha sighed impatiently. "Towels are there." She nodded and headed off, wondering how he could get water in a place that was un-owned and broken down. She didn't question, though, because the saying goes 'don't look a gift horse in the mouth'.

She stripped down and started the water, testing it with her hand before getting in. When the temperature was hot, she jumped in and started scrubbing. The water that she wrung from her hair was almost gray with dirt and dust, and she felt refreshed to have gotten it all out. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her thin form before stepping out of the tub.

"Are you done yet, wench?" An irritating voice sounded from the other side of the door.

"No! Go away!"

"Keh! I'm gonna stand right here until you get your ass out of the bathroom. I'd wanted to be out of here and back by now."

"Well you can expect to be there a little while longer, because I—ahhh!" Kagome screamed as she tripped over a broken pipe left carelessly in the middle of the floor. She backed up against the edge of the tub and grabbed the shower curtain rod just in time to catch herself.

"What happened?" Inuyasha asked, and before she could answer the door opened.

"Don't—!" She started forward to close the door before he could see anything, and slipped on a wet patch on the floor. "Eep!" She cried again as her balance tipped her and she fell to the ground.

What happened next, she barely remembers. He moved so fast it was inhuman!

Inuyasha—the door was already opened when she was falling and he saw her go down—rushed forward to catch her, luckily getting there just in time. He planted his feet so he wouldn't fall and shot out an arm, catching her across the small of her back, securely. It was a nice save, even Kagome had to admit.

Until her towel slipped.

She couldn't exactly blame Inuyasha for his hormones. He was a boy, after all. Even so, when she saw his eyes flicker downward—even for the tiniest fragment of a second—her anger and humiliation began to boil and something took over her hand. It struck across his cheek (again) as she screamed "YOU PERVERT!"

Inuyasha dropped her on her butt and high-tailed it out of there like a smart little boy.

-- -- --

When Kagome was dressed—at least part-way, and it was more than a towel—she emerged, face still red with shame. She did feel a little bad.

"I'm sorry I hit you so hard…" she whispered, sitting next to the white-haired boy who couldn't look at her. He didn't say anything. He was still mad, she thought. She got up and found better clothes for going out in.

"Where did you get those bruises?"

His voice was quiet—almost inaudible. His question was unexpected. Kagome just stared, amazed. He peeked over his shoulder at her. "You don't have to tell me…"

"You mean my towel fell off and my _bruises_ are what you're looking at?" The girl asked incredulously, with some relief, even. "Maybe I pegged you wrong—"

"What the hell? Of course I'm not looking at that!" He yelled, his old spirit returning. "Besides," he sat again, going back into sulk-mode. "I've seen waaaaaaay better." He heard her coming and turned around, only to get a slap to the face for the third time that morning.

"Pervert. I don't care if I'm not pretty." Obviously she did.

"I never said that," Inuyasha thought to himself, but he didn't want to risk another smack, and turned around to let her dress.

Kagome tied the end of the too-long shirt and pulled on her skirt, hoping she looked at least decent. "Alright, let's get going," she said, turning to Inuyasha. "Where's the bag?"

The boy gestured under the table in the corner, and Kagome pulled it out and stuffed a few wads of the money into her pockets, handing a few to Inuyasha as well. He'd pulled on a hat and stood at the door impatiently tapping his foot.

"Let's go, girl!"

"Alright, alright, hold your horses!" She ran to catch up with him as he left the room and headed downstairs.

--

"Do you know where we can go to shop?" Kagome asked, jogging to keep up with him. "Because I've never really been outside of the orphanage…"

"I know some places. But most of it will just be exploring." He increased his pace, much to the displeasure of his travelling companion. He made a sharp turn down an adjacent street, and Kagome almost missed it.

"Can you go a little slower?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I don't want to be seen."

"Oh." Kagome followed him into the first store—clothing. The thing she needed most. As soon as they were through the door, the girl bolted off for the women's section, running faster than Inuyasha thought possible, leaving him to himself. He headed off to the men's side.

He only needed a few more things to wear—a shirt, a few pairs of pants, and of course undergarments, but he knew that the girl needed a whole new wardrobe, and they might be there for a while. He sighed as he picked up a couple of plain white shirts in his size and turned to a rack of jeans. He pulled a few off and his shopping was done. He was eager to get out of there, but wouldn't leave without her. She'd said she would honor her promise, and he would honor his.

Clothes in hand, he headed over to join her. "Find anything yet?"

"Only everything. This is all so amazing! I've never had anything half this amazing! Isn't this amazing?" Her eyes sparkled and she never took her eyes off of the articles in her hands. She ran her fingers over every fabric, admired every stitch and button, everything looking perfect to her. She'd only had hand-me-downs and ill-fitting rags at the orphanage, and couldn't remember having anything before she lived there, so this was a designer store to her, even if it was only a department store in reality. "I don't know how I'll ever choose!"

"You have quite a bit of money, you could get a lot. But can you hurry? I'm getting uneasy." His ears flattened under his hat and he slumped his shoulders a little.

"Stop that, you look suspicious. Someone will think that you stole something. Now come on," she grabbed his hand and dragged him off to the fitting rooms. "You gotta tell me how things look!"

She shoved him into a little wicker chair outside the door and went in, giggling madly. After a few moments of the sounds of clothes rustling, and hangers clattering together, she emerged wearing a little green shirt and a white top.

"So?"

Inuyasha thought she looked good. It reminded him of a school uniform, and with her looks—so similar to Kikyo!—she looked just like the woman he once mistook her for. His cheeks felt warm. But he would _not_ allow himself to blush. "Keh."

"You're no fun." She went back in a tried a few more things on. A denim skirt with a blue sweater, black jeans with a red top, a pair of jeans and a casual sweatshirt, pleated plaid skirt and white button down, khaki pants and a dark blue button down, khaki _skirt _and a red halter, green t-shirt and shorts, the number of outfits she put together amazed him, but after almost forty-five minutes of sitting in that chair, she was done. And she was getting everything she'd tried on, and more.

Kagome grabbed undergarments for herself, and a few plain shirts and something to sleep in before heading to the front with a half-asleep Inuyasha and putting their things on the counter. The woman rung up the total and turned the little screen as she recited, "That will be three hundred fifty-six dollars and twelve cents." Kagome counted out her cash—she explained it as "birthday savings"—and handed the money over. Their things were bagged up and they left.

"I'm so happy!" She exclaimed, and Inuyasha turned his head and tried to tune her out. He was still on the lookout for potential threats. "Inuyasha?" He couldn't hear her calling. Something foul was in the air and he didn't like it. He sped up a little, expecting her to follow. He heard her pace quicken. "Inuyasha, what's wrong?"

"I don't like the smell of this place."

"Huh. I wonder why." The girl looked around and there didn't seem to be anything wrong with the immediate area, though as they walked, she started getting the feeling something was wrong. She didn't voice her thoughts, but Inuyasha must have sensed her unease. His ears twitched under his hat in irritation.

"Something about this place isn't right." His nose picked up a familiar scent. "Kagome, you're downwind right now, I shouldn't be able to smell you."

"What? Do I smell bad?" when Inuyasha wasn't looking, she lifted an arm and took a quick whiff. It wasn't too bad.

"That's not what I'm saying. I smell you. You must have been here before." He swung the bag in his hand over his shoulder and took a sudden turn. Kagome had to run to catch up with him. "Have you ever been around here before?" He asked, turning back to face her. Kagome shrugged.

"I wouldn't know. I've never really been outside the orphan…age…" their eyes lit up at once. They'd both realized at the same time. "Inuyasha, we should go." She fidgeted, clearly uncomfortable. Inuyasha saw this as an opportunity to get back at her for hitting him. He hid his grin.

"Got it. Come on, this way." She followed, quiet for the first time that evening. He led her down various alleys and side streets in a big circle back toward the orphanage and she didn't seem to notice. Once back in the original alley, he turned to her. "Alright, we're almost there. We just have to cut across the yard of this big warehouse." He pointed, and she didn't seem to recognize the building, lucky for him. She tightened her grip on the bags in her hand and nodded. He walked toward the building.

Along the back end of the property was a very high chain link fence to discourage people from walking, and to keep the wandering children in the yard. The fence turned and ran up the sides of the property as well, but didn't meet in the front, leaving about a fifty foot gap rather than having it run all the way around the perimeter. Inuyasha knew of a small tear in the fence that they could use to sneak onto the grounds, and led her that way, grinning at his cunning. He slipped through the tear and Kagome was close behind him.

To avoid being seen, Inuyasha darted to the side of the building and crouched low to the ground, under one of the windows. He sneaked along like that until he came to the corner. The light in the window above him suddenly lit. He froze.

_Shit._

He looked back at the girl, and her eyes were wide with terror. She pressed herself against the wall next to him and barely breathed, praying she wouldn't be seen. He could see a little trail of sweat running down the side of her face, and wondered if maybe he had made a mistake bringing her here. Well, too late to go back now.

He started creeping forward again, but suddenly heard voices from inside the office.

"We saw her for a second, but we lost her."

"I don't care. I need her back here now! Get your asses back out there before I kill you!"

Kagome's heart sped up. _The Warden._ Inuyasha, that bastard, he'd brought her to the orphanage! If she wasn't so terrified by that voice she would have slapped him, or at least glared. "And send in Mayu!"

A few seconds of silence later, a timid—and clearly fearful—voice appeared, joining the first one.

"Y-yes?"

"Come closer."

"No!" Mouthed Kagome, knowing what would happen next. She flinched at the sound of the slap. It was loud and resonated in her ears. She held back tears but they came forth anyway. She bit one of her knuckles to muffle the noise.

Inuyasha realized the error he'd made a little too late, as he, horrified, listened to the little girl take a beating, and watched Kagome cry. He'd gone a little too far, and there was no hope of taking it back now. The only thing left to do was get her away from there.

"Come on," he mouthed, one hand outstretched to her. She looked at it hopelessly before bursting into a fresh batch of silent tears. It was clear that she couldn't see a damned thing. "Fine," he growled and leaned forward to take her hand himself. He dragged her away and the sounds of the beating faded into nothing.

After their encounter, Inuyasha led the way home, no more detours. The walk was devoid of conversation, and the promise to help her search for her mother's necklace was forgotten, shoved into the deepest corners of his mind. He just concentrated on his feet.

-- -- --

Kagome fell asleep almost as soon as they got in the door. Inuyasha dropped his bags to catch her falling form, and when he shook her, she didn't wake up. The shock was too much for her, and he's tugged a little too hard on and delicate heartstring. He sighed, miserable with the girl—and himself—and carried her up to her bed.

-- -- --

"Mornin'," Kagome said cheerfully as she woke. Inuyasha stared at her guiltily. "What? Is my hair messed up or something?"

"Um…no, I just thought you'd be a little more…" Mad? "Uh…do you remember what happened last night?"

Kagome's expression was blank. "No, what happened."

"Nothing. Come on, we've got stuff to do today."

"Okay!" She got dressed hurriedly and followed him out the door.

-- -- --

"Was it necessary to get this much food?" Kagome asked. She was only carrying the eggs and bread, but she seemed worried that Inuyasha was getting overloaded. He _was_ carrying everything else, after all.

"Yes. I want to go out as little as possible."

"You do realize that's why I'm here," she mumbled. The street was littered with paper, gum, discarded coffee cups, but there were no people. School was normally in session, and most had work, so the roads were clear. The air was quiet, and there were missing children posters on every other lamp post.

Wait, what?

Kagome gasped and dropped the eggs as she stared at the little piece of 8.5x11" printer paper with her face on it.

"What the he'll your problem?!"

"Oh no…"

**_HAVE YOU SEEN ME?_**

**_Name_**_: Kagome Higurashi  
**Age**: 15-16  
**Hair**: Black  
**Eyes**: Brown  
Last seen: The town orphanage_

_Anyone with information of this girl's whereabouts is encouraged to call the police and tell them what you know._


End file.
